These are
pictures of the planes, trains and automobiles I knew as a young man.
The video on the left is the era I am most fond of. To the right is me
leading the parade on a three wheeler Harley Davidson. This was
the beginning of the fabulous fifties.

LEFT: The first plane I ever flew in commercially,
the fabulous DC 3 that is still in use today.

LEFT: Santa Fe Steamer 6-8-6 that carried me
over the mountain pass to California and the Navy.
Right: Play the video of the famed DC-3 and it's history. When
designed it had to fly over the Sandia with one engine before it was
approved for flight.

The movie above suggests that the "wow" in cars
started in the 1960's. Let me show you that it really didn't. The
"wow" started in the middle 1950's and continued on into the 1960
era. There were some pretty hot cars beginning to appear in the
showrooms across the U.S.A and the Chevy wasn't the only one.

LEFT: the dealer had to wash this one as I
drooled all over it when I went to see it. Add two modern halogen
headlamps replace the beautiful chrome bumper with the new ugly
front tin and this car would be at place anywhere today. In fact,
don't do anything to it and it would still be a "wow."

How about this beauty, the 1952 Hudson. It inspired
the joke, "if you step down to get in you must step up to get out."
This car was one of the first to get bolder in car design. Left:
Just off Route 66 in New Mexico as I drove this one home from
California.

I had purchased a 1942 Dodge 4 door with only 28,000 miles on it from a widow in San Angelo Texas . Her husband had died shortly after buying the car (it was one of the last made in 1942 with chrome bumpers and trim) and it had rested quietly in the garage for a number of years. See it (below left) right after I removed it from storage.
It had the original seat covers (you always did that in those days) and when I removed them the car looked like new inside and out. Leo entered his 39 Mercury and I the 42 Dodge and we both won trophies. I proudly carried my first son Gary home from the hospital in that car. The picture is old and of course faded after 54 years in the shoebox. The picture is just after I drove it home, dusted it off. Everything original and only a small dent in the chrome on one fender.

The 40's perhaps started the trend in good looking cars but the 50's put the finishing touches on the trend. I am not even sure that today's automobiles have the futuristic look as those of the sixties. That was just a time when about anything went and actually did.
The look was a far cry from the 40's, prior to the war. After the war was over the guys coming home wanted automobiles - automobiles and good looking ones. I was one of them. Our moms and dads were the ones that could afford them, however.

My Dad bought a 1956 DeSoto four door, pink and white. What wild colors. Had rear air-conditioning and one had to put a towel around the back of your neck to keep from freezing it.
He bought a 56 Plymouth with the fins, yellow and tan and later a more conservative car, A 64 Buick Wildcat, (see below left) 425 cubic inch V8 - four barrel carb, leather interior. A true hot rod and a gas drinker. I had previously driven my Dad to visit his Dad in the DeSoto. It took about five hours. Several years later, his Dad passed away, we needed to get there fast. I drove him again, this time in the Buick. I passed everything on the road, however, it took seven hours. The Buick was fast, however, it would pass few gas stations without a fill up.

Hot Rods -- Dragsters -- Custom Cars
The Small Block V/8 Was Born -- One Of The First was the 1955 Chevy Bel
Air With It's 265 cu in. Rated At 180hp @4500 rpm. That Set The Drag
Strips On Fire -- Started A Manufacturer Hot Rod War If you aren't
interested in the past you can cop out here. You can find out what a
bunch of young kids (and older kids) did in the 1 950's that changed a
city. But -- don't ask "what did they ever do" if you leave. Love to
have you stay and reminisce with us though. If you haven't visited
"1950's Drag Strip"
or "1957 NHRA Drag Races" please do so in this site. If you are here via
a link - Go to www.hdeshazo.com Meanwhile, I was not sitting idly by. My
interest grew and I stayed as close to the automobile as I could. I
moved several times but I always joined a local car club. I did that
when moving to Big Spring, Texas. (Hard to find on the map.) The
National Hot Rod Association® had already been formed by a man by the
name of Wally Parks. (Google - "Wally Parks") The association had
already had one national drag competition in Caddo Mills, Texas. This
was 1954 and the top speed eliminator did the quarter mile in an
astounding 98.8 MPH. Man, that was fast? I remembered that drag
competition and right away I wanted more than ever to get involved with
drag racing.

Two and a half years later I was managing the only drag strip in the western part of Texas. Not only that, I was now a NHRA Advisor for that area. (See "1950 Drag Strip" in this site.)

Although I had an interest in Planes and Trains - the Automobile was what was dear to my heart from the first 1928 Model A my Grandfather taught me to drive. (Please read "Me n' That Old Car." I inherited that car and the love affair never ceased - it only went on to the next, next and next one that I owned.
The Planes and Trains were hobbies and served to teach the boys the exciting art of hobby craft. We flew free-flight planes in good weather and built them in bad. The AUTOMOBILES OF THE 50'S caught my eye. My old Model A, my 1937 Ford Flatback and my 1940 Ford Business Coupe were great but the 1950's cars were beginning to become exciting. Along with the new futuristic looks came the horsepower of the V8's. Out of California came the "Drag Racing" mania and the spread eastward. Also, "customizing" became popular in California and also spread. They used some of the new looks in the 50's and added their own style. Everything was changing.

Everyone was in love with the
automobile in the 1950's. The manufacturers took notice of this and
pleased the public with newer models each year. Each automobile dealer
had a showing of the new models when they came out. The cars were
delivered to the dealer in the dead of night and anticipation grew until
the day of the showing. I worked for a company that financed automobiles
(the Banks still wasn't sure the automobile was a good risk) and we were
sure to have each employee go by the dealership on show date. Sometimes
the shows were elaborate and had TV coverage and flowers were sent
rivaling a wedding.

Automobiles You May Have Never Seen - Many Were
One Time Models

My prize 1940 Ford Business Cpe, the second car I
ever owned.

Right: Play the video and see it in action as I drove away
with my new wife in 1951.